Should Parliament ban trophy hunting?

THE campaign to ban the import of hunting ‘trophies’ promotes Western sentiment over science. It is wrong to claim the benefits of trophy hunting — funding for habitat protection, anti-poaching patrols and employment in some of the poorest parts of the world — can be replaced by photo-tourism. In Africa, most protected areas are seriously under-funded, even with photo-tourism, state aid, donor aid and hunting revenue. This harms effective conservation and imperils wildlife. In most hunting areas, photo-tourism will not be a viable option, so land will be converted to agriculture and settlement, which will kill far more wildlife than trophy hunting does. The campaigners may win, but it is the people and wildlife of Africa who will lose out.

Professor aMY diCkMan, kidlington, oxon.

THE photo spread of British trophy hunters posing with dead African wildlife (Mail) made me so angry. These inadequate individuals cower in bushes, at a safe distance, to kill unsuspecting animals. Not much of a sport in my book. They should vent their pent-up aggression at the boxing gym where the opponent hits back.

W. daniEls, stockport, Cheshire.

THE hunters who shot beautiful wild animals would be a lot braver if they had stood beside them, given them a hug and then had their picture taken without having to kill them. alan BillinGhaM, Ferndown, dorset.

IT’S time the so-called sport of shooting an animal and then holding it up as some sort of trophy was stopped. It’s absolutely barbaric.

Chris hall, Whitburn, West lothian.

THOSE grinning trophy hunters posing with the animals they killed are in need of psychological help to overcome their inadequacies. sTEVE rEdWood, Burbage, Wilts.